ECSS-Q-ST-70-20C – Determination of the susceptibility of silver-plated copper wire and cable to “red-plague” corrosion

Scope

This Standard gives details of an accelerated screeningtest method and acceptance criteria to determine the suitability of silver­plated wire and cable materials for use on spacecraft and associated equipment. The test method, which also determines the suitability of the associated fabrication processes, is based on the work of Anthony and Brown (1965). They established that “red­plague” originates at breaks in the silver­plating of copper wire strands in the presence of moisture and oxygen. The environmental testsystem artificially promotes “red­plague” corrosion under controlled laboratory conditions as a result of galvanic corrosion of the copper conductor core.

This standard may be tailored for the specific characteristics and constraints of a space project in conformance with ECSS-S-ST-00.